Meterpreter is a payload used within the Metasploit Framework for what purpose?

• A. Initial exploitation only
• B. Post-exploitation to maintain access
• C. Network mapping
• D. Password cracking

Answer: (B)

Meterpreter is designed for post-exploitation to maintain access after you’ve gained a foothold on a target. It runs in memory, giving an interactive session and a rich set of post-exploitation capabilities—such as file operations, process migration, credential dumping, keylogging, screenshots, and pivoting to additional hosts—without needing to re-run the initial exploit. This makes it ideal for staying connected to the compromised machine, gathering information, and extending reach, rather than being the tool used to break in initially. While it can support discovery and data collection, its primary purpose is to keep control once the initial access has been obtained, not the initial exploitation itself.